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From worldwide, high-tech businesses and a store owner whose family has more than 100 years of history in the city to an Olympic gold medalist who has run all over the world, they all have one thing in common. They Choose Hampton.

Animal Control

No. If the animal has a tag or a microchip, Animal Control will get in touch with the owner based on this information, if possible. If the animal has neither, they dispose of the animal but do not keep a log as to the type of animal they pick up or where it is located. In fact, in some cases, the type of animal (i.e., German Shepard or beagle versus wild animal or cat) may not even be apparent, depending on how much of the animal is on the road.

Assessor of Real Estate

In Virginia, application of a real estate tax rate approved by the governing body, to real estate assessments, provides that the tax burden is equally distributed to all property owners in proportion to the fair market value of their real estate. Real estate taxes are a major source of local funding for local services, such as public education, fire and police protection, roads and utilities.

The Office of the Assessor of Real Estate strives to maintain accurate real estate records. Please notify us immediately should you identify or suspect an error in your property information. Contact Us.

Not necessarily. One sale does not constitute market value. Sales of similar properties must also be reviewed and analyzed to determine if a single sale is an accurate estimate of fair market value. Learn more.

Appraisals and income and expense data are examples of information that may be confidential or specifically gathered for an intended user and specific purpose. Given the sensitivity of the information, it is best for appeal applicants to supply information directly to the Office of the Assessor of Real Estate for office reviews and secondly to the Board of Review.

If you are displaced from your home or business for more than 30 days, you may be eligible for a Real Estate Tax abatement. A Real Estate Tax Abatement Application must be submitted by, or on behalf of the owner with notarized agent authorization form, within six months of the date that the building was razed, destroyed, or damaged. Learn more.

The tax rate as of July 1, 2013 is $1.24 per $100 of assessed value. To determine the annual tax, multiply your real estate assessment by .0124. Certain districts, designated "Special Tax Districts" have an additional levy added to the base tax rate of $1.24 per $100 of assessed value. Learn more.

The fiscal year (July 1st to June 30th) real estate tax is billed in two parts by the City Treasurer's Office. The first half payment is due December 5th and the second half payment is due June 5th. With many homeowners, real estate taxes are paid by their mortgage company from funds in the owner's escrow account. For those property owners that do not have a mortgage company, the tax payment would be sent directly to the Treasurer. Learn more.

No. Interior and exterior inspections allow the real estate appraiser to make a thorough and complete review of your property. The appraiser cannot address conditions and features of the property of which they are unaware. Learn more.

Your assessment changes to reflect changes in the market since the last revaluation. A decline may be a one year occurrence, or it could be part of a trend. The values in assessment neighborhoods may increase, decrease or remain the same from one year to the next. Buyers and sellers create the market, and it is the responsibility of the Office of the Assessor of Real Estate to reflect the market. Learn more.

In the above situation, if you would like a deceased person's name removed, please provide the Office of the Assessor of Real Estate a copy of the death certificate and the recorded deed (not the deed of trust). The deceased person's name can be removed from the database, although this does not change ownership, it only changes billing information.

City Council

Prior to the meeting, there are sign-up sheets for the public hearing items located at the rear of Council Chambers. If you wish to address the City Council on a non-agenda item, use the sign-up sheet for "Audiences Granted to the General Public." There is a three minute time limit for each speaker.

Persons interested in serving on any of the city's 38 boards and commissions should complete a Hampton Board Bank Application. As vacancies occur, the Board Bank provides the names of all the persons who have expressed a desire to serve on the board and/or commission that has the vacancy. These names and applications are then submitted to the City Council for consideration. To obtain additional information about the boards and commissions, contact Katherine K. Glass, Clerk of Council at (757) 727-6315.

All regularly scheduled council meetings are open to the public and the media. All action taken by the city council is taken at public meetings. The city council is authorized to hold closed meetings whenever necessary to discuss legal and personnel matters, or other items not subject to the Freedom of Information Act. These meetings are not open to the public or media, but city council may not vote on any issue in these sessions.

An amendment is a City Council member's means of making a change to a motion, ordinance, or resolution as previously submitted. The amendment must be proposed by a motion and treated as any other motion.

Hampton City Council meetings begin at 6:30 p.m. on the second and fourth Wednesday of every month. Afternoon work sessions take place at 12:00 p.m. on the second and fourth Wednesdays of each month. The Council may also call special meetings as needed. Typically these meetings are broadcast live on TV-47 and are also available on the city’s website.

The public may sign up to speak during Public Comment and on Public Hearing Items beginning at 6:00 p.m. The sign-up sheets will be presented to council promptly at 6:30 p.m. Please note that failure to sign up may result in not being able to speak before council.

Clean City Commission

Sign up for the Adopt-A-Spot program with the Hampton Clean City Commission. Information about the program is provided on the Adopt-A-Spot page. The program requires participants to clean their selected site at least five times a year for two years. Volunteers borrow equipment from the Clean City Commission office and return it to the office after use. Equipment includes litter sticks, safety vests, work gloves, trash bags, and other cleanup related equipment. Hampton Clean City Commission Adopt-A-Spot Page

Use the online YARDS Nomination Form, or call HCCC at 727-1130. All you need is the street address (house number and street) of the yard you would like to nominate. HCCC will send a nomination package to your nominee and volunteers will schedule the evaluation date once the paperwork is returned to the HCCC office. Winners are announced monthly, May through September. YARDS Nomination Form

To report an existing area of litter or an illegal dumpsite, contact 311 with details like specific location, type of trash, and any additional information you can provide. To report an episode of illegal dumping in progress, call the Police Division's non-emergency number, 727-6111, and provide specific location, information about the dumper (description of people involved, vehicle description, license plate number), and type of trash being dumped. It's best to write all this down if possible. Please stay safe and rely on the police to approach the dumpers. 311

Go to the Tour de Trash registration page to sign up. Dates for the tours are generally the first Friday in April and the second week of November. For questions, contact Debbie at 727-1130. Tour de Trash registration

Clean City Award winners are folks who have gone well beyond the ordinary in their dedication to improving the physical environment of the city of Hampton. Nominate someone by filling out this nomination form.

Commonwealth Attorney's Office

A misdemeanor is a crime punishable by a fine and no more than 12 months in jail. A felony is a crime that carries a potential prison sentence in the State Department of Corrections for one year or more.

You can call (757) 727-6442. You will need to know the defendant's name, and, if possible, the date of the next hearing. The prosecutors are often in court all day, so please be prepared to leave a message with a phone number where you can be called before 4:30 p.m. Please note: If you are charged with an offense and have an attorney, a prosecutor will not speak with you. Have your attorney contact the prosecutor.

If you have suffered a monetary loss, such as damage to your home or medical bills, because of a crime committed against you, the judge may order restitution in the amount of your loss if the defendant was found guilty. Please note that restitution is not ordered for lost work hours.

If you are the defendant, you have a right to remain silent, and the judge and jury are not allowed to hold your silence against you. If you are a witness or victim, however, you must testify. If you have concerns about testifying, talk to the prosecutor or the crime victim assistance coordinator in the case.

Emergency Management

Every city, county, business, church, school, medical facility, private organization and family needs to have a well-developed disaster plan. In some instances, there are laws that require specific activities to have a plan. Many private companies may be legally required to develop a plan to ensure that a disaster doesn't become worse.

Although federal and state regulations for business pertain primarily to those that work with chemicals, every company should have some type of emergency plan that includes information recovery, evacuations, computer malfunctions, severe weather or disruption of the flow of materials and supplies.

A plan also may help a company reduce their potential liability in the event of an emergency and / or disaster. A properly developed plan will ensure that steps have been taken to limit or avoid civil or criminal liabilities, should a disaster occur.

Employee Council

No, a manager cannot require an employee to post a City event on their personal Facebook page. Both City Attorney’s Office and Human Resources staff attended a social media workshop in the fall, but the policy has not yet been updated. Human Resources will offer another Lunch and Learn session on this subject, hopefully before June 30, 2014.

Response from Human Resources: Currently, employees may use accumulated sick leave to attend the funeral of an immediate family member as outlined in our Personnel Policies Manual.We are currently surveying other localities to see how bereavement leave is managed and will provide an update in the near future.

Response from Human Resources: The City is undergoing a security enhancement that involves multiple phases. As you are aware, we now have a security guard station in the City Hall lobby and some employees have started to receive replacement badges that include a bar code which provides the same access as the key fobs. The intent is to replace all badges and eliminate the use of the fobs. Due to the various levels of security and access, this process will be a phased-in approach.

The City is still in this process, currently developing new ideas for a logo that contains a visual element. In the meantime, we are using the modern type with the wave. City of Hampton logo information

Human Resources: We have no formal procedures or hotlines in place to handle this type of issue. However, if an employee is concerned about fraud, waste, abuse, or any similar issue they should contact Human Resources. Human Resources will work with the employee to define the situation and then either address the situation within Human Resources or direct the employee to another resource.

Finance Department: The MyRA has not been established yet to my knowledge: In the State of the Union address, President Obama said he was authorizing the Treasury Department to create a starter savings account. For more information, http://www.treasurydirect.gov/readysavegrow/start_saving/retirementaccountfactssheetenglish.pdf

However, the city currently offers a 457 plan through ICMA-RC and all employees are eligible to contribute, including part time & WAE employees. The 457 Plan allows participants to set aside pre-tax money (through payroll deductions) for retirement purposes. The member is free to choose how much they want to contribute.

All of our firefighters are certified as Emergency Medical Technicians and respond to a variety of medical emergencies within the city. The fire trucks carry medical supplies and equipment to stabilize and/or rescusitate patients. Firefighters may also supplement the service provided by the ambulance by providing additional manpower.

Yes; free blood pressure checks are available at any Hampton Fire Station between the hours of 8am and 8pm. Department personnel will check your blood pressure and provide you with a written record so that you can share the readings with your personal physician. Please note that the station personnel may be responding to an emergency or scheduled event when you visit.

Personnel assigned to 24-hour shifts generally prepare their own meals at the fire station. Often the crew will go to the grocery store in their district to purchase items to prepare. Using the city-assigned vehicle allows them to respond from their location if necessary, without having to return to the station to pick up a vehicle. City funds are not used for these purchases.

When firefighters are not on an emergency call, they are often involved in training, in and out of the station, to enhance skills and maintain readiness. They also participate in a number of community events. Most of your questions and concerns can be addressed by our administrative staff during normal office hours. You can reach fire administration at 757-727-6580 between 8 am and 4:30 pm, Monday-Friday, except on holidays.

Anything that would normally be picked up by Public Works cannot be burned in the city. Leaves may be disposed of along with your regular garbage pickup. They must be collected in clear plastic bags and placed at the curb on your regular garbage collection day. For additonal information about the proper disposal of items, contact Public Works at (757) 727-8311.

Fire hydrants are maintained by Waterworks, not the fire department. From time to time, Waterworks personnel will do overflow testing on hydrants. However, if you see a hydrant that is open and running, you may call to notify Waterworks at 234-4800. They will let you know if any testing is being done in the area or have someone respond.

The City of Hampton Prevention Code bans the use and possession of all fireworks, with the exception of sparklers. Permits are required for public or private display of fireworks or pyrotechnics. A million dollar bond and professionals trained to launch firecrackers are required to obtain a fireworks permit.

Certain types of fireworks, such as firecrackers, bottle rockets and roman candles, may be purchased legally in other areas, but may not be possessed or used in the City of Hampton. Bringing unapproved fireworks from other jurisdictions in to the City of Hampton is an illegal act that constitutes a Class 1 misdemeanor. Unapproved fireworks may be confiscated and the offending parties fined up to $1,200 and/or sentenced to up to one year in jail.

Information Technology - Records Management

Records Management is the systematic control of all records of an organization throughout their life span, including creation (or receipt), active use, inactive storage, and destruction or permanent retention. A Records Management Program incorporates policies and procedures for the efficient and cost-effective handling of records that provide for the legal, fiscal and administrative needs of the organization.

The City of Hampton provides guidelines for handling City records. Its purpose is to promote consistent record retention practices by City departments, that allows for ongoing compliance with local, state and federal law, including the Virginia Public Records Act, and to meet requirements of external entities, when necessary.

Each department should establish a "records liaison" responsible for the implementation of the guidelines. The Records Manager serves to assist City staff with implementing the LVA’s retention guidelines, and serves as a resource for staff seeking information.

Destroying records according to an APPROVED RETENTION SCHEDULE releases you from the chain of custody for those records, meaning that these records cannot later be discovered and used in litigation.

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Frees up office space.

A retention schedule can help you determine how long to keep records after they are no longer in active use. These inactive records can then be boxed up and put in off-site storage rather than take up valuable office space. Considering the cost of file cabinets and office space at City Hall this is a considerable savings!

Saves time in locating records.

A Records Management Program ensures that the right information is available in the right order to the right person at the right time at the lowest possible cost. A good program allows you to spend minimal time locating records.

What is Meant by "Destruction Date"? Where Do I Get This Information?The retention guidelines developed by the LVA assigns retention periods (usually in years) to each class of record. The "destruction date" refers to the end of the retention period when records may safely be destroyed. When records stored with Iron Mountain reach their destruction date, your department will be notified, and approval must be received from your department director for Iron Mountain to proceed with destruction. Once destruction is carried out, we receive a certificate of destruction for our records.

If you are unsure what the destruction date of your records should be, email records@hampton.gov.

It's a fact that computers have not eliminated the need for paper. Some would argue that we actually generate more paper records now than we did before the advent of the personal computer. The number of records generated in the course of city business continues to increase. The LVA’s Records Retention Guidelines identifies the different types of records typically generated by City institutions. Keeping everything means you will, in time, be overwhelmed by paper.

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High cost of storage.

Lateral and vertical filing cabinets cost hundreds of dollars. Facing these kinds of costs, it makes sense to distinguish between records that should be kept for an extended period of time and those that should not as an alternative to piling up boxes and purchasing more filing cabinets.

Increasing volume impedes ability to locate items quickly.

The more material you have, the greater the possibility that items will not be located when they are needed (this is true for both paper and digital records), thus wasting time and money.

Risk of loss or damage in a disaster.

Keeping everything in your office or in your own storage area means that your records are in danger of being lost or damaged in the event of a disaster. Storing your inactive records off-site with Iron Mountain transfers the burden of caring for those records from you to them.

Risk of pre-trial discovery.

Keeping records longer than the time periods recommended by the LVA increases the risk of pre-trial discovery of records. Information provided by these records may be taken out of context or misinterpreted, thereby damaging the City in a court of law and incurring steep legal fees.

There is no separate policy for the destruction of records. Rather it is based on the records' series retention and/or the content of the record. For example, any document with personally identifying information (SSN, bank account information, etc.), must be shredded, but we must also maintain the City’s business records for the required period of time.

The LVA provides specific instruction regarding destruction and designates when shredding is the only or preferred alternative. Reviewing the LVA’s Retention Schedule(s) will provide you with the information you need to safely perform records destruction.

All work is erased when you log off and when the computers shut down for the day. If you need to save your work, bring a flash drive with you, or buy one from us for $5.00. You can also email your work to yourself and have it available from any computer with Internet access and compatible software programs.

This is a shorthand general description for computer applications and services that reside on network servers accessed through the internet, instead of local servers on the city’s network. The cloud-based environment avoids the need to synchronize files across multiple devices and simplifies access to current messages and files from both desktop and handheld/mobile devices.

Office 365 is accessible through the Microsoft Outlook clients or using Outlook Web Access interface through your web browser. POP access is available to access your account through other third-party clients. Outlook 2007 and above is required to access Office 365.

Microsoft follows the Security Development Lifecycle (SDL) when developing software. The process entails a series of security-focused activities and deliverables during each phase of Microsoft’s software development process. Before software can be released, it must undergo a final security review by an independent development team. Software that has undergone the SDL experiences a significantly reduced rate of security vulnerabilities being discovered.

You will not need to change your password on the new e-mail system. We have gone to great lengths to provide you a single sign on solution that uses your domain username and password so when you log onto your PC you will be logged into the e-mail system as well.

Possibly. If you use Outlook, you must be using Outlook 2007 or 2010. Older versions will not work. If your PC is not in compliance then in the coming weeks your PC will be upgraded or replaced. If you access the e-mail system from your home PC you will need to upgrade your outlook client or use the web interface.

Delegate permissions will migrate, but will require that users with delegation be migrated together. Occasionally the delegations will break and need to be setup again. If you need help contact the help desk to walk you through this process.

If you currently use PST files (Outlook archive files) they will continue to work as before, stored on your local PC, or you may choose to upload them to the server where you can access them from anywhere. In the same way, mail stored on your local PC in standard mailbox (mbox) files can be used as is or uploaded to the new server.

For active authentication by Outlook 2007+, Exchange Active Sync (EAS), or POP/IMAP clients, credentials are passed encrypted to Office 365 servers and relayed to the customer’s on-premises ADFS servers secured via SSL. For web-based authentication, user credentials are passed between the client and the customer’s ADFS servers over SSL and never pass to Office 365 at all.

Office 365 provides the ability to encrypt data at rest by supporting technologies that can encrypt the content of emails and/or files. The supported technologies for data encryption at rest include Microsoft’s Information Rights Management (IRM), S/MIME and PGP Email encryption and have the advantage of allowing the customer to maintain full control over the encryption infrastructure and key management on their premises.

Office 365 support for data encryption for at rest technologies is designed to minimize the risk of information leakage by encrypting the content, allowing access only by the intended users and by extending the protection beyond the initial publication location. Microsoft’s IRM goes further by restricting the actions allowed on the protected content and also encrypting Office application document attachments.

Office 365 mitigates against the risk of unauthorized physical access with extensive physical protections in their datacenters and operational procedures.

New Employee Email - Post-Migration

This is a transitional problem caused by having some members of the distribution list on one server and some on the other. We are migrating users by department to try and minimize this issue. In the coming weeks everyone will be migrated and this will not be an issue.

Items stored in the cache of your copy of Microsoft Outlook may not work correctly with the new server. To correct this, open Outlook with your new profile (the one pointing to Office 365) and do the following:

Go to File > Options

Select Mail

Scroll down and click “Empty Auto-Complete list”

This will remove all the “remembered” e-mail addresses that now have an invalid path.

Here are the new limits under Office 365. These are set by Microsoft and we cannot change any of them.

Quota: 25 gigabytes per mail box

Maximum number of recipients per message: 500

Maximum size of attachment sent/receive: 25 megabytes

Maximum number of recipients per day: 10,000

These are very high limits and City of Hampton users should not reach these limits for normal use. Generally, city users should not be sending out broadcast messages to large groups of citizens or City employees. If you need to send out a broadcast message to a large group of citizens, please contact Marketing Inc. If you reach 10,000 recipients in a day, your email will be locked for 24 hours by Microsoft and we will not be able to unlock it!

If you send large numbers of emails to internal staff members, you can contact IT and we will assist you with a solution through the creation of an appropriate distribution list or alternative service.

New Employee Email - Transition

The IT department has already started moving some users to the Office 365 cloud service. Departments will be moved as a group. All users will be moved between April and July 2013. You will be notified of your specific department or group move date in advance of the move.

Please read all the FAQs prior to the move and bookmark the Intranet Office 365 transition page so it is handy if you have questions. You will be asked to test your e-mail service after the move to ensure all your mail and other items converted to the cloud appropriately. The FAQs link is: http://cityweb/it/office365/default.aspx

Contact ithelp@hampton.gov or call 311 if you have problems after the move. In many cases we will have IT staff on your site check on each user's move success. In all cases, our staff will have the schedule of moves to Office 365 and will make problems with moves a high priority to be resolved very quickly. The IT department did an extensive pilot so we believe we know what to expect during the move.

You can access your email, calendar, and contacts by signing into Outlook Web Access (OWA.) The link is http://outlook.com/owa/hampton.gov. A link to OWA is also available from the FAQ page on our intranet http://cityweb/it/office365/default.aspx.

This is normal during the transition period. Users that have not migrated to the cloud are still on the City’s old mail server and their detailed calendar entries may not be visible to users on Office 365. You should be able to see if the person is free or busy, but not the details. As more users move to the cloud you will be able to see more user calendar entry details. Once everyone moves to the Office 365 cloud the calendar detail issue will be resolved.

Yes. Most public safety users will move to the Office 365 cloud service. Your transition process will follow the same pattern as all other City users. However, there are a few users in Public Safety that cannot move to the cloud due to FBI and State Police network restrictions. If you are one of these special users you will not migrate to Office 365. You will remain on the City’s e-mail system indefinitely and the IT department will continue to support e-mail for these users as we do today.

Most of the same functionality will be available on the Office 365 cloud service as you have today on your city or personal mobile device. One exception is that Blackberry devices will no longer have connectivity to the City’s Intranet. All other features and functions will remain available.

There are some things you may need to do to transition your mobile device to the cloud:

Blackberry users may need to have their device wiped (cleared).

Blackberry users who have stored pictures and files on their devices should remove the SIM card and reinsert it after the device has been returned to service.

Other users with City devices should automatically sync with the new services with no user intervention.

Users needing to configure their devices to sync with the new Office 365 services should try the following:

Mobile Device Configuration

Server: outlook.office365.com (PRIMARY) or m.outlook.com (ALTERNATE)

Domain: not needed (if city is populated, no need to remove)

User:username@hampton.gov

If prompted for an entry in the “domain\username” format, enter your full email address...

Yes. Some departments using personal shared folders will not have the same functionality. Unfortunately, newer versions of Exchange both in the cloud and on the City’s premise do not support this functionality. We will be working with each department that uses this functionality to find alternative solutions.

Distribution lists will remain the same. However, we encourage departments to clean up their current distribution lists by notifying IT of addresses that should be removed and also by notifying IT of outdated lists that should be eliminated.

Some current distribution lists include both external and internal e-mail users. Wherever possible, these distribution lists should be locked down to only City employees to reduce the risk of spam and the possibility of misinformation going outside our network. We encourage departments to review their distribution lists closely and to identify all that can be locked down to City employees only.

Users should also select the distribution list from the Address Book. There will be some title changes to distribution lists as we migrate to Office 365. Currently, some distribution lists use Hampton.com in their address. These will be changed to Hampton.gov. Selecting the distribution list from the address book versus typing it in will ensure you select the correct name.

The City’s Address Book will remain essentially the same with the ability to look up City employee e-mails. However, the City will be making changes to the school employees within the City address book. The school employee list will only have the most frequently used e-mail addresses in order to make searching and choosing more efficient. If you need to have ready access to school employee e-mails you can add them to your personal contacts list or contact IT and let us know who needs to be added.

Parks & Recreation - Sandy Bottom Nature Park

Yes. We have 9 individual campsites as a first come first serve. We also have 2 group sites and 4 yurts which can be reserved by stopping by the Nature Center and to make the reservation, fill out an agreement and make payment. See web address for pricing information. Pricing Information

This is a violation of this law is a Class 3 misdemeanor punishable by up to a $500 fine. In addition to the criminal violation, those who allow a fire to escape are liable for the cost of suppressing the fire as well as any damage caused to others’ property.

All the wildlife in the Wildlife Education Area is non-releasable. This means for some reason they could not be released back into the wild. Most of the wildlife were injured at one time or "kid napped" out of the wild and imprinted. No wild animal makes a good pet and is illegal.

Only kayak and canoes are allowed and you must have permit issued from the park. Stop by the Nature Center during business hours to fill out a permit and be issued a permit sticker. The permit expired December 31 of each year. The permit cost is $35 up until August when it is prorated to $15.

Reservations can be made for the Conference Room, Indoor and Outdoor Classrooms, all Shelters, Amphitheater, Gazebo, and Yurts. To make reservations by stopping by the Nature Center and to make the reservation, fill out an agreement and make payment. See web address for pricing information.

Reservation booking starts on the first Monday of each year. We recommend to reserve as soon as you can as certain dates book up fast. There is no phone reservations. To make reservations by stopping by the Nature Center and to make the reservation, fill out an agreement and make payment. See web address for pricing information.

The bark park is a member only area. You may purchase a membership by filling out the proper paperwork with shot documents at the Nature Center. Cost is $10 for one dog and $5 for each additional dog. Membership is good for one year from date of purchase.

From your house or business phone, your address will determine which Emergency Communication Center you reach. Calling from a cell phone makes a difference. Cell phones are not associated with a specific address so we do not immediately know where you are. They transmit to the nearest cellular tower and from there to the pre-designated Emergency Communication Center.

You may reach an Emergency Communication Center that is not in the city you are in. If this happens you will be transferred to the proper Emergency Communication Center.

If you are calling from a cell phone, your call may be disconnected if the signal is lost. Be sure to call back if you are cut off.

When calling 9-1-1 on a cell phone, be sure to stop if you are in a moving vehicle. It is difficult to obtain all the information needed if you are getting further from the emergency

Special Note: Even deactivated cell phones can dial 9-1-1. It is especially important that if you give a child an old phone to play with as a toy, that you remove the battery prior to doing so. If you don't, the child will inadvertently dial 9-1-1, tying up the emergency lines.

Yes. If you are hearing or speech impaired, Hampton Emergency Communication Center is equipped with a Text Telephone (TTY) device to allow communications through your TTY device. We also use Virginia Relay Service. If you do not speak English, we can conference in a third party interpretation service that can help us communicate with you.

Public Works - Bridges & Overpasses

Call the 3-1-1 Customer Call Center. If you are calling from the City of Hampton, simply dial 3-1-1 on your touch tone or rotary dial phone. From outside the City of Hampton please dial (757) 727-8311. Call takers are available from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. seven days a week to assist you.

If you are calling from the City of Hampton, simply dial 3-1-1 on your touch tone or rotary dial phone. From outside the City of Hampton please dial (757) 727-8311. Call takers are available from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. seven days a week to assist you.

It all depends on the location of the graffiti. If the graffiti is in the city right of way, a bridge, overpass, street or sidewalk the Streets Division will remove it. Graffiti that is on a city building is removed by Facilities Management. Graffiti that is on private property is removed by the property owner.

Light repair on bridges depends on what the problem is. If you notice a problem, report it to the Streets Division at (757) 727-8311 and we will get the appropriate repair party to respond and fix the light.

Some bridges the sidewalks are not wide enough for pedestrians to walk by fishermen safely and avoid traffic. On other bridges there is simply no safe place to fish and be out of the way of vehicle traffic.

The individual property owner is responsible for the maintenance or repair of their own seawall or shoreline area. Also, a permit is required for most repairs so check with Central Permits before starting any repairs.

If your scheduled collection day falls on a holiday, your garbage, bulk trash, bulk limbs, yard waste and tires will be collected on the Wednesday of that week. If your every other week recycling collection is scheduled on the holiday, it will also be collected on the Wednesday of that week. The holiday collection schedule is published in the newspaper and is available to you through the 3-1-1 Customer Call Center. 3-1-1 Customer Call Center

Call the 3-1-1 Customer Call Center. If you are calling from the City of Hampton, simply dial 3-1-1 on your touch tone or rotary dial phone. From outside the City of Hampton please dial (757) 727-8311. Call takers are available from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. seven days a week to assist you.

If you are calling from the City of Hampton, simply dial 3-1-1 on your touch tone or rotary dial phone. From outside the City of Hampton please dial (757) 727-8311. Call takers are available from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. seven days a week to assist you.

Bulk limbs, brush, and branches can be placed curbside for collection as early as 3 p.m. on the day before your scheduled collection day. They need to be curbside by 7 a.m. to insure you will receive prompt service.

Public Works - Bulk Trash

Call the 3-1-1 Customer Call Center. If you are calling from the City of Hampton, simply dial 3-1-1 on your touch tone or rotary dial phone. From outside the City of Hampton please dial (757) 727-8311. Call takers are available from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. seven days a week to assist you.

If your scheduled collection day falls on a holiday, your garbage, bulk trash, bulk limbs, yard waste and tires will be collected on the Wednesday of that week. If your every other week recycling collection is scheduled on the holiday, it will also be collected on the Wednesday of that week. The holiday collection schedule is published in the newspaper and is available to you through the 3-1-1 Customer Call Center. 3-1-1 Customer Call Center

If you are calling from the City of Hampton, simply dial 3-1-1 on your touch tone or rotary dial phone. From outside the City of Hampton please dial (757) 727-8311. Call takers are available from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. seven days a week to assist you.

Bulk trash is large items that will not fit into your garbage container such as furniture, sofas, window air conditioners, appliances, and mattresses. Bulk trash is collected on the same day as your regular garbage.

The bulk collection truck will break the glass with the claw and create a hazard to the public. Put glass in a cardboard box and put it into your regular garbage container for collection. Any Hampton resident can take windows, doors with glass, window panes or glass shower doors to the landfill for disposal.

No, city ordinance prohibits the collection of building materials. Contractors are responsible for proper disposal of building materials from their work. Hampton residents can, with a building permit, dispose of up to 10 pick-up truck loads of building materials at the landfill.

All Freon and other refrigerants must be removed from these items before collection by you or a certified contractor. This requirement is part of the federal Clean Air Act and carries stiff penalties if violated.

The city landfill is located on North Park Lane off Big Bethel Road near TNCC. It is open to the citizens of Hampton for the disposal of bulky trash. Building materials may only be disposed of at the landfill with a valid building permit issued by the City of Hampton. The hours of operation are from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday and from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday with the landfill being closed on Sundays. The telephone number for the landfill is (757) 766-3033 for further information.

Public Works - Bulk Trash Collection

Any bulk trash, limbs and brush must be placed so that it is not under any low power lines, is not blocked from collection by a vehicle, is not near a pole or support wire or next to a fence or mailbox. These requirements are to protect the collector as well as your property from damage.In addition, the bulk trash pile should be kept separate from the yard waste pile.

Public Works - Catch Basins & Yard Drains

If you are calling from the City of Hampton, simply dial 3-1-1 on your touch tone or rotary dial phone. From outside the city of Hampton, please dial (757) 727-8311. The call center is available from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m., seven days a week.

Trash, litter, and debris left or thrown in the street will flow to the yard drain or CDI and can block it up. Leaves and grass that are swept or raked into them is the major reason they block up and flood.

Curb Drop Inlets (CDIs) are the openings in the curb and gutter that take street water and connect to drainage pipes under the ground. These pipes lead to the large ditches which empty into our creeks, rivers, and the Chesapeake Bay.

These drains are the first part of the system to take storm water runoff. If they are blocked with leaves, grass, trash, or debris, flooding begins immediately and can cause serious damage to homes and property.

Report any of these problems immediately so that the city can repair or replace it as necessary. Also, report any person damaging or dumping things into CDIs or yard drains so appropriate action can be taken. Please call the 3-1-1 Customer Call Center at 3-1-1 (local) or (757) 727-8311.

Report any of these problems immediately so that the city can repair or replace it as necessary. Also, report any person damaging or dumping things into CDIs or yard drains so appropriate action can be taken. Please call the 3-1-1 Customer Call Center at 3-1-1 (local) or (757) 727-8311.

Not only is it illegal, but these drains feed the system that goes directly to the Chesapeake Bay so dumping affects the entire region. Please dispose of all chemicals, oil, trash, and other waste through the proper collection programs.

Public Works - Collection Containers

Yes you can. Residential customers can have two garbage and / or recycling containers. Business customers can have up to four garbage containers. The current price for an additional garbage container is $65 and $60 for an additional recycling container.

If you are calling from the City of Hampton, simply dial 3-1-1 on your touch tone or rotary dial phone. From outside the City of Hampton, please dial (757) 727-8311. The call center is available from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m., seven days a week.

If you are renting the home, the landlord is responsible for supplying a city-approved recycling and garbage container to you. If you are buying the home, the city will issue one garbage and / or recycling container to the address.

All items for collection can be put curbside as early as 3 p.m. the day before your scheduled collection day. You will need to remove the containers by midnight on the following day of your collection to keep your neighborhood looking good.

Call the 3-1-1 Customer Call Center. If you are calling from the City of Hampton, simply dial 3-1-1 on your touch tone or rotary dial phone. From outside the City of Hampton, please dial (757) 727-8311. The call center is available from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m., seven days a week to assist you.

Each item is collected by a different vehicle so access is important. Also, the collection arm on the automated truck requires space to make the collection safely and not tip over other containers or damage your property.

Public Works - Curb & Gutter Repairs

If you are calling from the City of Hampton, simply dial 3-1-1 on your touch tone or rotary dial phone. From outside the city of Hampton, please dial (757) 727-8311. The call center is available from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m., seven days a week.

Small cracks in the curb and gutter need not be repaired. Wider cracks that allow water into the sub-grade and will cause damage to the adjacent pavement should be repaired. Sections of curb and gutter that have sunken only slightly, should be monitored for further deterioration, but not immediately replaced.

Serious "ponding" of water in the curb and gutter of 2 inches or more; a difference in elevation between two sections of curb and gutter of 2 inches or more; or curb and gutter that is causing damage to the adjoining roadway, CDI or catch basin, should be replaced.

Call the 3-1-1 Customer Call Center. If you are calling from the City of Hampton, simply dial 3-1-1 on your touch tone or rotary dial phone. From outside the City of Hampton please dial (757) 727-8311. The call center is available from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m., seven days a week to assist you.

When determining whether to remove scaled curb and gutter we consider the depth of the damage and the amount of surface area involved. Sections that severely impact the adjoining asphalt roadway should be replaced but scaled curb and gutter that is less than 1/8 inch in depth, and is on grade (level) should not be replaced.

Public Works - Ditches & Drain Pipes

As of July 1, 2008, the Drainage Maintenance Division no longer installs pipe in residential ditches. The homeowner may purchase the pipe themselves and have it installed by a contractor of their choice. Residents need to obtain a right-of-way permit by contacting the Central Permit Office at (757) 728-2444 before beginning the work. Central Permit Office

No, raking leaves into the ditches or curb drop inlets (CDIs) in the street is a major cause of flooding during rain storms. Blocked ditches will cause flooding that can threaten your home and property. Put your leaves in clear plastic bags and at the curb for collection with your other solid waste.

The front ditch is also cleaned once a year by city drainage crews and large debris is removed when needed to keep them open. The city's Parks Department is responsible for grass cutting and litter removal from the front ditches in the city. Parks Department

If you are calling from the City of Hampton, simply dial 3-1-1 on your touch tone or rotary dial phone. From outside the city of Hampton, please dial (757) 727-8311. The call center is available from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m., seven days a week.

The front ditch is also cleaned once a year by city drainage crews and large debris is removed when needed to keep them open. The city's Parks Department is responsible for grass cutting and litter removal from the front ditches in the city. Parks Department

The city owns the retention ponds at Teach Street and Buckroe Avenue at Old Buckroe Road, and is responsible for their cleaning and maintenance. All other retention ponds are the responsibility of their local neighborhood association to clean and maintain.

Call the 3-1-1 Customer Call Center. If you are calling from the City of Hampton, simply dial 3-1-1 on your touch tone or rotary dial phone. From outside the City of Hampton, please dial (757) 727-8311. The call center is available from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m., seven days a week to assist you.

Public Works - Flooding & Stoppages

If you are calling from the City of Hampton, simply dial 3-1-1 on your touch tone or rotary dial phone. From outside the city of Hampton, please dial (757) 727-8311. The call center is available from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m., seven days a week.

Not always, heavy rains are going to cause some flooding. We ask that you be patient and let the flooding subside and drain normally. A major storm such as Hurricane Floyd was an example of when Newmarket Creek could not handle the incoming water volume so major flooding occurred.

The drainage system is designed to handle normal amounts of rainfall during the year. Torrential rains, hurricanes, or northeasters are going to cause minor to major problems depending on the severity of the storm. Also, remember that our city is relatively flat so drainage is a problem under abnormal conditions.

The city is continually looking at ways to improve the drainage system. Costs are very high, there are property issues to deal with, and none of us wants to pay higher taxes in order to fund improvements unless we are directly affected by flooding. Constant maintenance of the system is the most cost effective way to insure major problems are avoided as much as possible.

Drainage personnel have the city divided into six sections which are monitored by teams running routes to check for known problem areas. When heavy rain is forecast, these routes are run prior to the storm's arrival. Also, during a heavy rain storm or hurricane the crews are either on-call or working 24 hours a day to handle any emergency flooding problems.

Make sure the yard drain is free of debris before the rain begins. Please remember that the drainage crews cannot trespass on private property to open or clean the yard drains without the property owner’s permission.

Call the 3-1-1 Customer Call Center. If you are calling from the City of Hampton, simply dial 3-1-1 on your touch tone or rotary dial phone. From outside the City of Hampton please dial (757) 727-8311. The call center is available from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m., seven days a week to assist you.

During heavy rains, streets will flood. Our crews do everything possible to clear up problems as quickly as possible. To have the crew check the location concern, contact the 3-1-1 Customer Call Center. An advocate will double-check to make sure our crews are already aware of the problem and get to it as soon as possible.

Public Works - Guardrails

Requests must be evaluated to determine whether or not a new guardrail is appropriate for the location. You can request a new guardrail through Traffic Engineering and Operations. Funding is done through either the capital improvement projects fund in the city budget or through operating funds, if the installation is minor.

Call the 3-1-1 Customer Call Center. If you are calling from the City of Hampton, simply dial 3-1-1 on your touch tone or rotary dial phone. From outside the City of Hampton, please dial (757) 727-8311. The call center is available from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m., seven days a week to assist you.

Cross connections are ones between the sanitary sewer system and the storm water system and are not allowed, ever. Wastewater must be treated at HRSD facilities and storm water is just rain run-off that goes directly to the Chesapeake Bay through a ditch system.

Items that will clog the sewer system such as rags, sponges, small toys, any household chemicals, automotive chemicals, flammable liquids, or paints. These materials are not only a danger to people, but cause processing problems at the HRSD facility. Dispose of all your household chemicals safely through Hampton's collection program.

Public Works - Handicap Ramps

If you are calling from the City of Hampton, simply dial 3-1-1 on your touch tone or rotary dial phone. From outside the city of Hampton, please dial (757) 727-8311. The call center is available from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m., seven days a week.

Call the 3-1-1 Customer Call Center. If you are calling from the City of Hampton, simply dial 3-1-1 on your touch tone or rotary dial phone. From outside the City of Hampton please dial (757) 727-8311. The call center is available from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m., seven days a week to assist you.

Any sidewalk that intersects with a roadway at an intersection must have a handicap ramp installed in compliance with the American's with Disabilities Act (ADA) and city standards. These ramps are valuable safety features to those disabled and visually impaired citizens in the City of Hampton.

The newer handicap ramps have a pea gravel or pea stone surface that makes it easy for the visually impaired to identify the ramp. It lets them know that there is a ramp and an intersection of the roadway in front of them. All new ramps are required to have the rough surface under the American's with Disabilities Act (ADA).

Public Works - Household Chemical Collection

Household chemicals will be collected from Hampton residents on Saturdays: March 21, May 16, July 18, September 19, and November 21, at the Public Works Operations yard, 419 North Armistead Avenue, from 8 a.m. to noon. Visit http://www.vppsa.org/hhc.htm

It is a drop-off program sponsored by the City of Hampton and the Virginia Peninsulas Public Service Authority (VPPSA) to serve residents in the City of Hampton for the disposal of household chemicals. Virginia Peninsulas Public Service Authority

Call the 3-1-1 Customer Call Center. If you are calling from the City of Hampton, simply dial 3-1-1 on your touch tone or rotary dial phone. From outside the City of Hampton please dial (757) 727-8311. Call takers are available from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. seven days a week to assist you.

If you are calling from the City of Hampton, simply dial 3-1-1 on your touch tone or rotary dial phone. From outside the City of Hampton please dial (757) 727-8311. Call takers are available from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. seven days a week to assist you.

Business chemical waste can be disposed of at a scheduled VPPSA collection site, for a fee. Business customers must contact VPPSA at (757) 259-9850 prior to bringing any chemicals to a collection site. VPPSA

Public Works - Illegal Dumping

If you are calling from the City of Hampton, simply dial 3-1-1 on your touch tone or rotary dial phone. From outside the city of Hampton, please dial (757) 727-8311. The call center is available from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m., seven days a week.

Drainage crews will remove large items such as furniture, tires, shopping carts, and other big items that block the ditches and can cause flooding problems. The Hampton Parks Department is responsible for litter collection on public property and at the schools. Parks Department

The responsible party, if caught, would be billed for the clean-up and the costs for the process are very expensive, not to mention court costs. If a spill is on private property, the owner can be billed for the cost of the clean-up, even if another party spilled or dumped the chemicals.

Call the 3-1-1 Customer Call Center. If you are calling from the City of Hampton, simply dial 3-1-1 on your touch tone or rotary dial phone. From outside the City of Hampton please dial (757) 727-8311. The call center is available from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m., seven days a week to assist you.

You will need any information you can get such as description of the individual, description of the vehicle involved, or a license tag number if possible. Location and time of the incident are also very helpful in catching illegal dumping in progress.

Illegal dumping in progress should be reported to (757) 727-6111 for a police officer to respond. You will need any information you can get such as description of the individual, description of the vehicle involved, or a license tag number if possible. Location and time of the incident are also very helpful in catching illegal dumping in progress.

Besides being against the law, illegal dumping blocks our storm water system or the materials get directly into the Chesapeake Bay and affect the entire region. Also, it simply makes Hampton look bad to our citizens and visitors.

Hampton residents and contractors doing yard work in the city can take their yard waste to the yard waste site next to the landfill for free disposal. They accept leaves, grass, and limbs / branches that are no bigger than 5 inches in diameter and 5 feet in length. Grass and leaves must be debagged by the customer at the site.

If your scheduled day falls on a holiday, your garbage, bulk trash, limbs, yard waste, and tires will be collected on the Wednesday of that week. If your recycling collection is scheduled on the holiday, it will also be collected on the Wednesday of that week. The holiday collection schedule is published in the newspaper and is available to you through the 3-1-1 Customer Call Center.

If you are calling from the City of Hampton, simply dial 3-1-1 on your touch tone or rotary dial phone. From outside the city of Hampton, please dial (757) 727-8311. The call center is available from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m., seven days a week.

Public Works - Main

Call the 3-1-1 Customer Call Center. If you are calling from the City of Hampton, simply dial 3-1-1 on your touch tone or rotary dial phone. From outside the City of Hampton please dial (757) 727-8311. Call takers are available from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. seven days a week to assist you.

Call the 3-1-1 Customer Call Center. If you are calling from the City of Hampton, simply dial 3-1-1 on your touch tone or rotary dial phone. From outside the City of Hampton please dial (757) 727-8311. The call center is available from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m., seven days a week to assist you.

Call the 3-1-1 Customer Call Center. If you are calling from the City of Hampton, simply dial 3-1-1 on your touch tone or rotary dial phone. From outside the City of Hampton, please dial (757) 727-8311. The call center is available from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m., seven days a week to assist you.

Hampton’s curbside recycling program does not accept any plastic bags for recycling including newspaper plastic bags. However, most area grocery stores have collection bins that accept grocery store style plastic bags for recycling. We recommend you dispose of any plastic bags you cannot drop-off for recycling in your regular garbage.

Call the 3-1-1 Customer Call Center. If you are calling from the City of Hampton, simply dial 3-1-1 on your touch tone or rotary dial phone. From outside the City of Hampton, please dial (757) 727-8311. The call center is available from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m., seven days a week to assist you.

Public Works - Mosquito Control

The Department of Environmental Services uses an Integrated Pest Management (IPM) approach to mosquito control. This approach utilizes many methods to reduce pest populations to acceptable levels. The city employs a team that looks for mosquito breeding habitats and uses environmentally friendly pesticides with any water where mosquitoes are found breeding that cannot be dumped. Surveillance is done throughout the year to gather population levels in order to focus control efforts in specific areas. In extreme cases of mosquito population levels, truck-mounted ULV sprays are performed after dusk to reduce mosquito numbers while keeping beneficial insect levels safe.

While mosquito-borne disease cases in Hampton are generally low, mosquito-borne viruses such as West Nile Virus and Eastern Equine Encephalitis are endemic to this area. Precautions such as using protective sprays, dumping standing water around the house, and reducing time spent outside during peak mosquito activity should be used during the warm seasons.

One of the most common mosquitoes in the Hampton Roads area is the Asian Tiger Mosquito (Aedes albopictus). This species primarily lives around houses, especially in dense neighborhoods. They breed in artificial containers and have a very short flight range. The best way to enjoy the outdoors without mosquitoes is to make sure to dump any standing water. Mosquitoes are very sneaky and can breed in as little as a bottle cap full of water. Common breeding spots around the house are: flower pots and trays, fish or wading pools, children’s toys, old tires, gutters, buckets around the home or garage, and tarps used as a rain cover. These places are very common among neighborhoods and should be checked or dumped at least once a week.

The Dog heartworm parasite (Dirofilaria immitis) is endemic throughout our region. The parasite is usually attributed to dogs, but can affect other mammals such as cats, foxes, ferrets and, in extremely rare cases, humans. If you have pets that live or spend much time outside they should be treated with heartworm prevention medicine, carried by veterinarians. Pets should also be given mosquito, tick and flea medicine on a regular basis to reduce the risk of your pet contracting West Nile Virus or Eastern Equine Encephalitis. There is currently a horse vaccine for encephalitis, and owners should contact their local veterinarian for information.

Hampton is home to more than 35 different species of mosquitoes; several species of biting flies (Horse Fly, Deer Fly, Beach Fly etc.); ticks (Lone Star, Blacklegged Deer, Gulf Coast and American Dog); venomous spiders (the Black Widow and Brown Recluse), stinging pests (Yellow Jackets, European Hornets, Paper Wasp etc.); subterranean and powderpost termites; several ant species (Pavement, Pharaoh, Carpenter, Yellow, Fire etc.); three venomous snakes (Copperhead, Cottonmouth and Canebrake rattlesnake); rats and mice (Norway, Roof, Field and White footed). These are just a few of the many different pests that can affect someone in the Hampton Roads area.

Immediately call 911 and ask for assistance. If you don’t have a phone, go directly to a hospital for assistance. All the venomous snakes in Hampton can be life-threatening, so immediate medical treatment is necessary. The venomous spiders in Hampton are not considered life-threatening, unless a person is allergic, young or elderly; the bite from both spiders can be very painful and have serious complications, always seek medical attention.

The most effective way to avoid having a spider habitat is to keep areas clean, dry, and free from debris and litter. Most spiders prefer remote, dark, and damp areas where they can trap or ambush prey. Residual insecticide sprays and repellents are not very effective keeping spiders away, so double check when you are not sure of an area. Woodpiles, garden hoses,spigots and flower pots are prime areas for venomous spiders.

The Hampton area is surrounded with natural vegetation, swamp and marshlands that are perfect snake environments (venomous and non-venomous). As with spiders, snakes need habitat to hunt, feed, and to hide from predators. Tall grass, woodpiles, unkempt landscapes, organic and inorganic debris offer the safety and structure that snakes require. Keeping your property clean and orderly helps greatly. Another way to eliminate snakes is to eliminate their food source. if you have bird feeders, for example, they attracts birds and birds attract snakes that will feed off the bird eggs or the birds themselves. Not cleaning up after your pet will attract rats and mice, which will attract snakes. Becoming proactive is the best snake deterrent.

If you have a honey bee swarm in your yard call 311 to have a local beekeeper or technician come and safely remove them. Otherwise vigilance when policing your yard and addressing any potential pest problem is the easiest and least expensive safeguard. Brooming away small wasp nests from under the porch or burying a newly established Yellow Jacket hornet nest in the soil are good examples. There are several safe products on the market to eliminate wasps and hornets from around the home. Always read the directions and have an escape route planned ahead of any application. If a person has a history of allergic reactions to stinging insects, call an exterminator to avoid potential health risks.

Typically if you don't own a pet, ticks won’t be too problematic. If pets are owned, keeping them updated on tick and flea prevention will help immensely. There are several products carried at local hardware stores that can be applied to a lawn, through a water hose, that will give up to one month protection per application. If a property is located in a suburban setting ticks will be more prolific due to wild animals such as deer and small mammals. In these situations insecticidal yard applications and repellent are recommended to reduce any possible tick bites. Remember any insecticide applications will affect not just the target ticks, but other beneficial insects too. Always use caution and common sense when applying any pesticide.

It is much more cost effective to control immature mosquitoes (larvae) than to try and control the adults since the larvae must remain in water during growth and development. A breeding site may contain many thousands of mosquito larvae in a relatively small area. It is cheaper to apply a larvicide to a small area of water to control the mosquito larvae than to spray a large part of the city to control adult mosquitoes that can fly.

A variety of products are used today to control mosquito larvae. They include surface oils, insect growth regulators, naturally occurring bacteria, fish, nematodes (small worms that are parasites of larvae), and various other chemical agents. The choice of which larvicide to use will depend on a number of factors including the type and size of the habitat in which the larvae are found, the species of mosquito, availability of mosquito control personnel, and the type of application equipment on hand.

Only the mosquitoes that are actively flying at the time of the application are killed. Mosquitoes resting in vegetation, inside buildings, or other structures will not be affected by the spray. The spray application has no long lasting (residual) effect.

All of the products used in the mosquito control program are registered for such use by the United States Environmental Protection Agency and are safe for use around humans and pets. Bee keepers are advised to keep their hives covered during the time of spray operations.

Call the 3-1-1 Customer Call Center. If you are calling from the City of Hampton, simply dial 3-1-1 on your touch tone or rotary dial phone. From outside the City of Hampton please dial (757) 727-8311. Call takers are available from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. seven days a week to assist you.

Encephalitis is an inflammation of the brain and the central nervous system. Since it is a virus, there is no cure; you can only treat the symptoms. Symptoms may range from mild to severe depending on the type of virus and the overall health of the individual.

Yes, they certainly can. The most common disease is dog heart worm. Heart worm prevention is easy, but treatment of the disease can be very expensive. Untreated heart worms can lead to the death of the dog. Consult your veterinarian for more information on prevention and treatment.

You can eliminate areas of standing water such as clogged gutters on your house or shed, turn empty flower pots over so that they won't collect rainwater, do not let water stand on tarps or plastic covers, change the water in bird baths each week, empty wading pools, throw away empty potted plant trays, and correctly dispose of used tires. All of these measures will help control the mosquito population.

Call the 3-1-1 Customer Call Center. If you are calling from the City of Hampton, simply dial 3-1-1 on your touch tone or rotary dial phone. From outside the City of Hampton please dial (757) 727-8311. Call takers are available from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. seven days a week to assist you.

Public Works - Muskrats

Muskrats can cause damage to property when they burrow into the ditch banks as they make their den and by eating vegetation such as lawn grass or garden and ornamental plants. A short (2- to 3-foot) chicken wire fence that is partially buried in the ground can be effective in keeping muskrats out of your yard or garden. Muskrats cannot be trapped without a trapping permit from the Virginia Department of Fish and Wildlife Office.

If you are calling from the City of Hampton, simply dial 3-1-1 on your touch tone or rotary dial phone. From outside the city of Hampton, please dial (757) 727-8311. The call center is available from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m., seven days a week.

Muskrats are fur-bearing animals, usually 18 to 24 inches in length, and can weigh between 1 and 4 pounds. They have a dark tan to reddish-brown to dark brown to black fur color on their sides and back. The belly is generally light gray to silver to tan. They live in any place where food and water are available year-round and they are primarily vegetarians.

Muskrats cause damage to ditch banks with their burrowing and making of their den.

Public Works - Other Pests

Keep areas clean and free of debris. Eliminate their living sites by removing trash, old boxes, piles of lumber, and rubble from under or around houses or out-buildings. There are a variety of insecticides available for spider control. Please remember to carefully read and follow all label directions.

There are several products labeled and available for controlling insect and pests. Please carefully read and follow all label directions for their use. Always apply the product at night when the insect is "home". Never use gasoline, kerosene, oil, or any other flammable liquids to control pests due to the danger to you and the potential of groundwater contamination.

Simply eliminate the areas that they would want to live in. Keep vegetation cut low, do not keep piles of wood or brush on your property, and remove debris and trash or other items where they can hide.

If you are calling from the City of Hampton, simply dial 3-1-1 on your touch tone or rotary dial phone. From outside the city of Hampton, please dial (757) 727-8311. The call center is available from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m., seven days a week.

Grasp the tick as close to the skin as possible with tweezers. Gently and steadily pull until the tick is free of the skin. Disinfect the site of the bite immediately. Do not put anything on the tick before removal, squeeze the body of the tick, break off any mouth parts, or rub the bite area before disinfecting it.

The bite may not be felt. It is followed by burning, local swelling, and redness. Two puncture points may be visible. The pain intensifies after 1 to 3 hours and may last up to 48 hours. The spider venom is neurotoxic and the pain usually progresses from the site of the bite up or down the arm or leg, finally localizing in the abdomen or back. The abdominal muscles may become rigid and board-like with severe cramps.

Other symptoms may include nausea, profuse sweating, tremors, labored breathing and speech, and vomiting. The severity of the symptoms depends on the age and sensitivity of the victim, with small children most severely affected.

Usually ticks are a problem because a pet dog has carried them into the yard or house. Female ticks on the animal feed, drop-off, and lay eggs. The eggs hatch and thousands of larval ticks seek a meal, usually from the dog. Controlling ticks around the house means keeping the animal free of ticks with the use of a suitable dip, dust, spray, shampoo, and a tick collar. Dogs can be de-ticked by hand, but remember to protect your fingers or use tweezers.

Wear light colored clothing so ticks can be seen easier, wear long sleeved shirts and long pants in an area where ticks may be, and tuck pants into socks and shirttails into pants to force the tick to walk on the outside of clothing where it can be easily seen, and removed. You can also use repellents to help keep ticks away and you should check frequently for ticks on the body and clothing, especially on children.

You need to contact a physician or hospital immediately. Small children are especially vulnerable to the bite and need to be treated right away. While the bite is not considered life threatening, hospitalization may be necessary.

A snake is more afraid of you than you are of them. If you see a snake on your property or while out walking, leave the snake alone and it will most likely leave you alone if given the chance. A snake, like any other animal, will only bite you in self defense. With this in mind, no snake should ever be picked up unless you are familiar with the proper method of handling and can identify the poisonous ones. Snakes are also beneficial to man in many ways. Several species eat rodents and insects so snakes are an important link to the environment just like other animals.

The most common tick-borne diseases in this area are Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever (RMSF) and Lyme Disease. RMSF is most often transmitted by the bite of the American dog tick and can be fatal if left untreated. Lyme Disease is transmitted through the bite of the deer tick. Untreated, Lyme Disease can cause permanent damage to joints and heart muscle. Both RMSF and Lyme Disease can be controlled with antibiotics.

Public Works - Pavement Markings

Yes, at any crosswalk, marked or not, drivers must yield the right of way to pedestrians in the crosswalk. Crosswalks are used mainly to encourage pedestrians to use a particular crossing area at the intersection.

Research suggests that a crosswalk gives a pedestrian a false sense of security. They often step off of the curb expecting the vehicle to stop and the driver fails to stop, resulting in an accident. At any crosswalk, marked or unmarked, the pedestrian is responsible to be cautious and alert before crossing the street.

The city is responsible for all roadway markings such as double yellow centerlines, roadway edge markings, intersection markings, crosswalks, stop lines, and arrows on city streets and in its rights of way.

Call the 3-1-1 Customer Call Center. If you are calling from the City of Hampton, simply dial 3-1-1 on your touch tone or rotary dial phone. From outside the City of Hampton, please dial (757) 727-8311. The call center is available from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m., seven days a week to assist you.

Public Works - Potholes & Cracked Pavement

If you are calling from the City of Hampton, simply dial 3-1-1 on your touch tone or rotary dial phone. From outside the city of Hampton, please dial (757) 727-8311. The call center is available from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m., seven days a week.

Repair crews follow routes each working day looking for and repairing potholes they find and those that have been reported by residents. All routes, and called-in tickets, are completed within five working days. Emergency repairs of large or dangerous potholes are repaired right away.

Asphalt cracking can be caused by many things. Water getting under the streets surface, oil and toxic chemicals can cause damage to the street surface. Asphalt could be getting old and reaching its life expectancy. There could also be a weak sub-base supporting the street in that particular area.

All potholes should be avoided so damage will not occur. Potholes are considered a natural occurrence and normally claims of damage are not approved unless the city had prior knowledge of the pothole. If you want to file a claim with the city for damage, you will need to contact our Risk Management Office at (757) 727-6617 so that they can investigate the claim.

Many factors are considered when deciding if a street needs to be resurfaced. Each year a portion of city's streets are resurfaced with capital project funds. After all data is gathered and studied, the streets division manager makes the final decision.

Call the 3-1-1 Customer Call Center. If you are calling from the City of Hampton, simply dial 3-1-1 on your touch tone or rotary dial phone. From outside the City of Hampton, please dial (757) 727-8311. The call center is available from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m., seven days a week to assist you.

As of November 1, 2001, we no longer use or will service the small green recycling bins. All recycling must be placed inside the new larger gray recycling container for collection. You may keep your old bin for some other use or simply dispose of it in your regular garbage container.

If your recycling collection is scheduled on the holiday, it will also be collected on the Wednesday of that week. All garbage, bulk trash, limbs, yard waste, and tires would be collected on the Wednesday of that week. The holiday schedule is published in the newspaper and is available to you through the 3-1-1 Customer Call Center.

If you are calling from the City of Hampton, simply dial 3-1-1 on your touch tone or rotary dial phone. From outside the City of Hampton please dial (757) 727-8311. The call center is available from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m., seven days a week to assist you.

Currently, the fee is $10 per week with a discount to $4.25 per week if a household recycles at least twice per month. The user fee is used to fund many solid waste services and is collected as part of your water bill every two months.

Hampton’s curbside recycling program does not accept any plastic bags for recycling including newspaper plastic bags. However, most area grocery stores have collection bins that accept grocery store style plastic bags for recycling. We recommend you dispose of any plastic bags you cannot drop-off for recycling in your regular garbage.

We do not accept food waste of any kind, pizza boxes, waxed cardboard, egg cartons of any kind, coat hangers, empty paint cans, aerosol cans, light bulbs, window glass, lids from cans or jars, butter tubs or other "oily" containers, baby diapers, needles or syringes, microwave food trays, plastic bags, containers marked "poison", and metal cans lined with plastic cannot be taken. There are processing problems with these materials and markets do not exist for recycling some of these items.

Hampton’s curbside recycling program does not accept any plastic bags for recycling including newspaper plastic bags. However, most area grocery stores have collection bins that accept grocery store style plastic bags for recycling. We recommend you dispose of any plastic bags you cannot drop-off for recycling in your regular garbage.

All items for collection can be placed curbside as early as 3 p.m. the day before your scheduled collection. You will need to take your recycling and garbage containers off the curb by midnight the day after your scheduled collection day to keep your neighborhood looking good.

There are several places where you can donate old computers and electronic equipment for recycling in the peninsula area. Contact the 311 Call Center by dialing 3-1-1 inside Hampton or at (757) 727-8311 outside the city limits for information on recycling these items. The call center is available seven days a week to assist you.

You can drop off accepted recycling items at the Tidewater Fibre recycling plant located at 5602 Chestnut Avenue, next to the Marva Maid Dairy building. Chestnut Avenue runs off of Briarfield Road in Hampton. They accept items between 7 a.m. and 3:30 p.m., Monday through Friday and their telephone number is (757) 247-5766.

To report damage to your recycling container, missed recycling pick-up, problems with the placement of your recycling container after collection, or to request new recycling service for the disabled or another recycling contain, call the 3-1-1 Customer Call Center. If you are calling from the City of Hampton, simply dial 3-1-1 on your touch tone or rotary dial phone. From outside the City of Hampton please dial (757) 727-8311. The call center is available from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m., seven days a week to assist you.

Recycling markets are buying the paper or the cardboard from collections, not the water in them. All paper and cardboard must be kept dry for collection. The lid on the container is designed to keep the paper dry.

Public Works - Regular Garbage

Yes, all items for collection can be put curbside as early as 3 p.m. the day before your collection. You will need to remove them from the curb by midnight of the day following your scheduled collection day to keep your neighborhood looking good.

If your scheduled collection day falls on an observed holiday, your garbage, bulk trash, limbs, yard waste, and tires will be collected on the Wednesday of that week. If your recycling collection is scheduled on the holiday, it will also be collected on the Wednesday of that week. The holiday collection schedule is published in the newspaper and is available to you through the 3-1-1 Customer Call Center.

If you are calling from the City of Hampton, simply dial 3-1-1 on your touch tone or rotary dial phone. From outside the city of Hampton, please dial (757) 727-8311. The call center is available from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m., seven days a week.

Call the 3-1-1 Customer Call Center. If you are calling from the City of Hampton, simply dial 3-1-1 on your touch tone or rotary dial phone. From outside the City of Hampton please dial (757) 727-8311. The call center is available from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m., seven days a week to assist you.

All garbage needs to be inside the garbage container for collection. Solid Waste does not pick up extra bags of garbage. You can purchase an additional garbage container if you need more collection capacity.

Public Works - Road Shoulders

If you are calling from the City of Hampton, simply dial 3-1-1 on your touch tone or rotary dial phone. From outside the city of Hampton, please dial (757) 727-8311. The call center is available from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m., seven days a week.

Unless there are homes that front an alley, and the alley must be used to access these homes, alleys are not maintained by the city. Maintenance and repair is otherwise the responsibility of the individual homeowner.

Call the 3-1-1 Customer Call Center. If you are calling from the City of Hampton, simply dial 3-1-1 on your touch tone or rotary dial phone. From outside the City of Hampton, please dial (757) 727-8311. The call center is available from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m., seven days a week to assist you.

Although the city may own and maintain a right-of-way in front or your driveway, the actual driveway is not considered a city maintained right of way. Your driveway is the private entrance to your property therefore it is the homeowner’s responsibility for repair. If the city does work and disturbs the entrance we will repair it.

Public Works - Rodents

Yes, we bait for rats on public property, in areas like storm drains and ditches, in some park locations, and in city rights-of-ways where it has been determined that a problem exists. The city does not do any baiting on private property nor do we supply or sell rodent bait to citizens.

If you are calling from the City of Hampton, simply dial 3-1-1 on your touch tone or rotary dial phone. From outside the City of Hampton, please dial (757) 727-8311. The call center is available from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m., seven days a week.

This four step program to eliminate rodents can be effective in getting rid of rats:

Prevent rats from entering your home by repairing openings with a material such as sheet metal or hardware cloth.

Remove any sources of food for rats by storing food, especially pet food, in tightly sealed containers; place all garbage in an undamaged container with a lid; remove any uneaten pet food after feeding your animals; and remove all pet droppings from your yard every day.

Remove all hiding places for rats such as piles of trash and garbage; objects stored outside, such as fire wood, should be 12 to 18 inches off the ground to prevent burrowing; and cut grass and brush to remove cover for rats and discourage their activity.

Eliminate rats with traps placed in the runway for best results. Peanut butter, hot dogs, or bacon makes good rat bait. When using a rat poison it must be placed where it cannot be reached by children, pets, or any animals other than rats or mice. Always carefully read and follow all label directions on any rat bait or poison purchased.

When a rat leaves its nest it travels the same path each time called a runway. Outdoors, the runway may appear as a trail in the grass or dirt. Indoors, the runway may show "rub marks" where oil and dirt from the fur has been left on walls or floors. Also, noises, droppings, tracks, gnaw marks, pieces of fur, and burrows are signs of rat activity.

Not necessarily, rats are most active at night and will only travel about 100 feet from their nest to find food and water. They like to live close to their food source and may become accustomed to eating one type of food over any other. They especially like fresh food to eat, but can thrive on pet waste.

Rats commonly live near people and are not afraid of the odor of humans. They can transmit many diseases to people including leptospirosis, salmonella, trichinosis, and rat-bite fever. The fleas on rats can carry murine typhus or plague. Rats are not known to transmit rabies.

They build their nests by digging holes around foundations of buildings, in stream banks, and under piles of wood and trash. They can fit through an opening as small as 1/2 inch and can chew through many types of building materials.

All Hampton residents who have water service and discharge wastewater into the sewer system are charged the Sewer System Maintenance Fee. There are no exemptions or reductions to the fee due to age, income, or disability.

Currently the Sewer User Fee, or Sewer System Maintenance Fee, is $1.48 per 100 cubic feet (HCF) of water consumption at your home or business. It is based upon the water consumption at your location and is billed every other month as part of your water bill.

The DEQ Consent Order is a special order issued under the Code of Virginia section 62.1-44.15(8a) to resolve certain violations of environmental laws and regulations between the State Water Control Board, Hampton Roads Sanitation District, and the City of Hampton.

The Sewer System Maintenance Fee is calculated from the water consumption at your location. The consumption figure comes from the Newport New Waterworks meter readings every two months and is multiplied by the user fee figure. If you have a question concerning the water consumption, you can contact Newport News Waterworks at (757) 926-1000.

Public Works - Sidewalk Repair

If you are calling from the City of Hampton, simply dial 3-1-1 on your touch tone or rotary dial phone. From outside the city of Hampton, please dial (757) 727-8311. The call center is available from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m., seven days a week.

The city will only replace sections of sidewalk like that if they pose a safety risk to pedestrians and the scaling is 1.5 inches or deeper. Lightly scaled sections of sidewalk need not be repaired or replaced.

Call the 3-1-1 Customer Call Center. If you are calling from the City of Hampton, simply dial 3-1-1 on your touch tone or rotary dial phone. From outside the City of Hampton, please dial (757) 727-8311. The call center is available from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m., seven days a week to assist you.

If the sidewalk is raised between 0.5 and 1 inch, the city will grind the raised portion down to eliminate the tripping hazard. Sidewalks that are raised 1.5 to 2 inches will be removed and replaced by the concrete crew. The supervisor will also have a temporary asphalt patch put in place until the repair work can be scheduled to help minimize the safety hazard.

Public Works - Slabs & Blow Up Repairs

If you are calling from the City of Hampton, simply dial 3-1-1 on your touch tone or rotary dial phone. From outside the city of Hampton, please dial (757) 727-8311. The call center is available from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m., seven days a week.

The damage may be due to temperature, water and chemicals in the joint, a poor sub-base under the slab, heavy volumes of traffic, or heavy loads. Any blowup should be investigated to insure traffic safety and repaired or replaced as necessary.

A blowup is a section of road or street that is severely off-grade (unlevel). The concrete slab or road section is either raised or sunken at the spot of the damage. It can interfere with the safe passage of traffic and cyclists at the damaged point.

Call the 3-1-1 Customer Call Center. If you are calling from the City of Hampton, simply dial 3-1-1 on your touch tone or rotary dial phone. From outside the City of Hampton, please dial (757) 727-8311. The call center is available from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m., seven days a week to assist you.

Public Works - Stoppages

The sewer tap, where your sewer line connects to the city portion of the sewer system, determines this. "On city" would be the part from the tap towards the street; "not on city" would be the line from the tap to your house.

Relief from a percentage of the fee is possible as long as the property owner follows Best Management Practices (BMPs) on their property. These include such things as retention ponds, detention areas, infiltration facilities, 20% green space area, or parking lot sweeping on a regular basis.

If you are calling from the City of Hampton, simply dial 3-1-1 on your touch tone or rotary dial phone. From outside the city of Hampton, please dial (757) 727-8311. The call center is available from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m., seven days a week.

Relief is available for commercial properties only. The process begins in the Public Works office at City Hall. The application is filled out, reviewed by an engineer, and approved or disapproved depending on the application. Application and renewal of the relief is required each year.

Currently, it is $83.88 per year for a residential property. The average Equivalent Residential Unit (ERU) is 2,429 square feet of property space. A commercial property equal to 10 ERU's would pay $838.80 per year for their stormwater fee.

The stormwater fee is collected along with your real estate property tax bill due in June and December of each year. The fee is charged to the owner of the property and passed on to renters by the landlord.

The stormwater fee is used to fund many programs related to water quality including environmental education, street sweeping, capital improvements to the system, drainage maintenance, administration, review of permits, inspection, and monitoring activities.

Call the 3-1-1 Customer Call Center. If you are calling from the City of Hampton, simply dial 3-1-1 on your touch tone or rotary dial phone. From outside the City of Hampton please dial (757) 727-8311. The call center is available from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m., seven days a week to assist you.

The stormwater fee is a result of the Clean Water Act of 1987 which requires cities of 100,000 or more to reduce pollution before it gets to the Chesapeake Bay. Because there are no federal or state dollars provided to implement water quality measures, the storm water fee was established.

Public Works - Street Lights

Requests for new street lights are handled by Traffic Engineering and Operations. Following a request, they determine if a street light is appropriate and is so, have Virginia Power install one on their own schedule. The city does not authorize any street lights on private property.

The city maintains the street lights on the Settlers Landing Road Bridge and some of the decorative lights in the downtown area and in Phoebus. All other lights on public streets are maintained and repaired by Virginia Power. Street lights on school property are maintained by the Hampton School system and the Parks Department maintains and repairs lights in their park areas.

Call the 3-1-1 Customer Call Center. If you are calling from the City of Hampton, simply dial 3-1-1 on your touch tone or rotary dial phone. From outside the City of Hampton, please dial (757) 727-8311. The call center is available from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m., seven days a week to assist you.

Public Works - Street Sweeping

No, leaves and grass are only collected by Solid Waste in clear plastic bags. Sweeping leaves and grass into the street is a violation of the city ordinance, can cause flooding if the curb and gutter gets blocked, and is unsightly in the neighborhood.

Debris in the street falls into two categories depending on what is there. Small debris like nails, glass, rocks, dirt, sand, and small debris from an auto accident is handled by the sweepers. Large debris such as mattresses, boxes, bags, building materials, and other large items have to be collected by Solid Waste with a bulk trash truck.

If you are calling from the City of Hampton, simply dial 3-1-1 on your touch tone or rotary dial phone. From outside the city of Hampton, please dial (757) 727-8311. The call center is available from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m., seven days a week.

There are 16 street sweeping routes that are run each week. You can contact the 3-1-1 Customer Call Center or the street sweeping Hot Line at (757) 726-2820 to find out the day your neighborhood will be swept. If your scheduled sweeping day falls on a holiday, your street will be swept on the Friday of that week.

Make sure that your garbage can, recycling bin, any vehicles you have, basketball goals, bulk trash, bags of leaves, or other items are not in the street so that the sweeper can sweep all the way to the curb. Items can be damaged if left in the street and the sweeper operator cannot do a complete job sweeping around these items.

Street sweeping is suspended on days when severe weather occurs. If we are unable to sweep your street due to the weather we do not make up the missed day but simply sweep your street the following month.

Call the 3-1-1 Customer Call Center. If you are calling from the City of Hampton, simply dial 3-1-1 on your touch tone or rotary dial phone. From outside the City of Hampton, please dial (757) 727-8311. The call center is available from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m., seven days a week to assist you.

Street sweeping is a part of our Storm Water Management Plan. Sweeping the streets removes tons of debris and litter that would otherwise end up in the Chesapeake Bay. It also keeps our neighborhoods cleaner and looking good.

Public Works - Tire Recycling

If your scheduled day falls on a holiday, all garbage, bulk trash, limbs, yard waste, and tires will be collected on the Wednesday of that week. If your recycling collection is scheduled on the holiday, it will also be collected on the Wednesday of that week. The holiday collection schedule is published in the newspaper and is available to you through the 3-1-1 Customer Call Center.

If you are calling from the City of Hampton, simply dial 3-1-1 on your touch tone or rotary dial phone. From outside the city of Hampton, please dial (757) 727-8311. The call center is available from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m., seven days a week.

Call the 3-1-1 Customer Call Center. If you are calling from the City of Hampton, simply dial 3-1-1 on your touch tone or rotary dial phone. From outside the City of Hampton please dial (757) 727-8311. The call center is available from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m., seven days a week to assist you.

Public Works - Traffic Signal Systems

The City of Hampton and the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) have recently completed a nine-million dollar project to upgrade the traffic signal system by connecting all signals to a central computer. The project also included installation of 14 closed circuit television cameras with additional cameras planned in the next few years.

The pedestrian signal at the intersection is timed for vehicle traffic, not walking traffic. If there is a button to push to activate the pedestrian crossing signal, you would need to activate it and wait for it to indicate a safe crossing.

The goal is to get the greatest number of vehicles through the system with the fewest stops in a comfortable manner. The busiest traffic movement takes priority and the longest master cycle in most systems is 120 seconds.

As traffic volumes increase beyond the capacity of "Stop" signs a traffic signal is considered. Before a signal can be installed a review of both the vehicle and pedestrian traffic is made; the need to provide traffic interruption; special consideration such as curves; and the accident history or proximity of the intersection to a school. Following the traffic study a decision is made to install or not install the signal.

Traffic signals are a very costly investment. Typically, a signal can cost $250,000 for the traffic controller, the signal heads, vehicle detectors, signal poles and supports, and the signal preemption (Opticom) equipment. At this cost, careful consideration is necessary before installing new signals.

At a flashing red light you must stop, yield to oncoming traffic or pedestrians, and proceed when the way is clear. At a flashing yellow light, slow down and proceed with caution. When a signal is completely dark, due to power loss, the light serves to function the same way as a 4-way stop controlled intersection and drivers must stop before entering the intersection.

The Opticom system allows Fire and EMS vehicles to control the green light in order to provide a speedy response and protect the driving public. There are currently over 100 intersections using the system.

Call the 3-1-1 Customer Call Center. If you are calling from the City of Hampton, simply dial 3-1-1 on your touch tone or rotary dial phone. From outside the City of Hampton, please dial (757) 727-8311. The call center is available from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m., seven days a week to assist you.

Traffic signals offer the maximum control at busy intersections. When timed properly they maximize the traffic handling capacity at an intersection. They also improve the safety for both vehicle and pedestrian traffic.

In areas where a left turn can be made safely without the aid of a left turn arrow, motorists do not have to wait for the left arrow and can save time in hours of lower traffic volume. During peak hours they still have the leading left arrow for turning safely.

A pedestrian signal does not always improve the safety of walkers at the intersection. Motorists and pedestrians need to use extreme caution when they meet at any intersection. Also, pedestrian signals are costly to purchase, install, operate, and maintain.

Public Works - Traffic Signs

Speed bumps do not significantly reduce speed once the vehicle has left the speed bump. Speed bumps also present a potential hazard to vehicles including bicyclists, motorcyclists, emergency vehicles, and can jolt both vehicle and passengers. For these reasons the City of Hampton does not use speed bumps on public streets.

"Children at Play" signs tend to create a false sense of security for parents and children. The use of "Children at Play" and "Slow" signs have long been discouraged since these signs are a suggestion to small children that playing in, or beside, the roadway is okay. The City of Hampton does not install these types of signs on city streets.

A widely held misconception is that speed limit signs slow traffic in neighborhoods. Most drivers drive at a speed they consider comfortable regardless of the posted speed limit. Traffic Engineering will look at each request on a case by case basis. To request a review please submit a service request or call 3-1-1.

The city will only install such signs in areas where there is a documented large volume of heavy truck traffic that does not have a legitimate reason to use the street. Installation is done only after an engineering study is done in the area.

Stop signs are used to assign right-of-way at an intersection, not to control speed. If you believe speeding is an issue in your neighborhood, contact the Police Department at (757) 727-6111 for additional enforcement.

Call the 3-1-1 Customer Call Center. If you are calling from the City of Hampton, simply dial 3-1-1 on your touch tone or rotary dial phone. From outside the City of Hampton, please dial (757) 727-8311. The call center is available from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m., seven days a week to assist you.

Public Works - Wastewater Cave-Ins

Call the 3-1-1 Customer Call Center. If you are calling from the City of Hampton, simply dial 3-1-1 on your touch tone or rotary dial phone. From outside the City of Hampton please dial (757) 727-8311. Call takers are available from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. seven days a week to assist you.

If you are calling from the City of Hampton, simply dial 3-1-1 on your touch tone or rotary dial phone. From outside the City of Hampton please dial (757) 727-8311. Call takers are available from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. seven days a week to assist you.

An overflow in a sewer line normally occurs from a manhole in the street. A sewer manhole is normally in the middle of the road and is the access point to the main sewer line. Overflowing sewer manholes need to be reported to the Customer Call Center at 3-1-1 immediately.

Manholes normally overflow during periods of heavy rain when excess water gets into the sewer system or when the main line gets stopped up. City Wastewater crews are putting liners in all sewer manholes to control the flow of excess water into the system. Normal sewer function does not cause manholes to overflow. Please report any sewer overflow right away to the Customer Call Center at 3-1-1.

Sewer manholes are normally found in the middle of the street and drainage manholes are close to the curb. A sewer overflow would be dirty in color and have an odor while a drainage overflow might not. Report any overflow to the city for us to investigate.

Overflowing sewage in your yard from your line is due to a stoppage in the line. The overflow will probably be coming from the clean-out on your sewer line. You can contact us between 7 a.m. and 11 p.m. and we will respond and investigate the problem.

Anytime raw sewage is overflowing caution needs to be taken to keep people and pets out of the waste. When city crews respond they will assess the risk and take all appropriate steps to ensure the public safety.

If you are calling from the City of Hampton, simply dial 3-1-1 on your touch tone or rotary dial phone. From outside the City of Hampton, please dial (757) 727-8311. The call center is available from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m., seven days a week.

Call the 3-1-1 Customer Call Center. If you are calling from the City of Hampton, simply dial 3-1-1 on your touch tone or rotary dial phone. From outside the City of Hampton please dial (757) 727-8311. The call center is available from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. seven days a week to assist you.

SAGE Hampton

SAGE HAMPTON is a donation funded program managed by the Hampton Neighborhood Development Partnership. It’s designed to beautify the local streetscape, filter stormwater, boost communitypride and appreciation, and facilitate future economic development by creating a more inviting roadway environment. The SAGE program is built on 20 years of proven success and experience.

LEAF (the Lynchburg Expressway Appearance Fund), is the founder of the SAGE Program. In early 1990, Proctor Harvey of Harvey Design Land Architects was approached about solving an eyesore inLynchburg. The problem was the Lynchburg Expressway, a 10-mile stretch of 55 mph, four-lane highway. People tended to drive through this dreary corridor as quickly as possible; it was a typical inner city highway. The answer evolved into what is now known as the SAGE Program which is approved by the State of Virginia.

The program is funded by local businesses and special interest groups (such as garden clubs) wishing to invest in the aesthetic improvements of local streets and roads, and improve stormwater quality. The development cost for the SAGE HAMPTON project has been funded by a technical assistance grant through the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF).

In many ways! The first thing residents will notice is the visual improvement of the streetscape. By adding gardens, the normal look or “plain-ness” of a typical highway corridor will be softened. The localresidents begin to take pride in the appearance of their enhanced roadways. Tourism gets a boost from the SAGE Program, however the main benefit is private dollars to help filter stormwater runoff at the source. Simply stated, the Program will beautify the City and improve the water quality of the Chesapeake Bay.

Most donations are expected to be in the $12,500 - $20,000 range.The donation costs of the gardens will depend on several factors: locations, amount of traffic and required stormwater infrastructure improvements.

The city is responsible for maintenance, funded in part by the sponsor donation. Maintenance costs can be also covered with inkind services provided by local landscape contractors excited to participate in the program.